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Travel Inspiration FromTennessee Explorer Josh Ness

Tennesse Dept. of Tourist Development

Peace, Love, Bonnaroo: What to Expect

The Farm welcomes 80,000 people for a weekend full of music, food and positivity.

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July 5, 2016

My first Bonnaroo. I wasn't really sure what to expect. But more than 80,000 people don't show up and have bad experiences, so I made an adventure to find the reason why you should go. It didn't take long to figure it out.

When I showed up to Bonnaroo's 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, getting in right before the LCD Soundsystem set, I had a friend help me find my way around and get a good spot where we could enjoy the show. Right from the start, I was impressed with the quality production that Bonnaroo has. The sound quality was crisp and the massive video screens made sure I didn't miss a thing. I actually had space around me to move around. We made our way around to a couple more sets before lying around in an open field listening to Tame Impala before calling it a night and heading to the campgrounds.

The next day, we decided to stay in shade and not go into Centeroo until later when we caught a couple of great sets (Judah & the Lion, Post Malone, Two Door Cinema Club). We were getting hungry and decided to grab our favorite, Spicy Pie (Please come to Nashville), then headed back to camp for a refreshing shower.

The evening shows were delayed by a couple hours from lightning in the area, so we played some cards until heading back in for a couple of the best performances I've ever seen.

Ellie Goulding had us spend the entire set singing and dancing before we headed over to see Miguel perform.

Miguel was just brilliant. His voice was great live and as we left that set, there was one of the biggest crowds I've seen around one of the smaller stages.

At 2 a.m. we decided to call it a night and head back to camp. The next morning, I headed into Centeroo with a friend and got breakfast and an iced coffee before heading out, wrapping up my very first Bonnaroo experience.

Looking back, there wasn't anything that would keep me from coming back next year. There were clean bathrooms, great coffee, amazing food, and an excellent music experience.

What really made me love Bonnaroo was the people. Never have I met a crowd of people that were that extremely kind, despite being in extreme heat for hours. And that's what makes it a Happy Roo. Next year's weekend of Peace, Love and Bonnaroo is June 8-11, 2017.